I know this is totally irrational, but I'm extremely anxious to give my dogs whole raw meat. Dumb huh? I've been feeding dehydrated raw and supplementing with ground turkey and ground beef. I went to the store today and did it! I bought chicken thighs with legs for my GSD/Mal and wings for my Shih Tzu and Jack Russell. I'm freezing the meat for 3 days to kill all the bugs before I feed. I know it's not going to hurt them, but what is my problem? Any words of advice? What is my problem? I kind of feel like I'm getting ready to give my baby potato chips and popcorn. Help

When the general public is certain that feeding raw is terrible and will kill your dogs, it's hard to make the switch. Not sure if you have kids, or babysat but do you remember when the big switch happened from babies having to sleep on their stomachs to never place a baby on it's stomach to sleep? Tons of parents/grandparents uneasily laid their babies to sleep on their backs- having to retrain the mindset that had been drilled into them for a really long time. I was a kid, but my sister fell into that transition period. That's what makes it so hard. Raw is not cutting edge and tabu any more, but not yet readily accepted by the public as the best option. Our dogs will be the groundbreakers for dogs to come It's not potato chips and popcorn- It's steamed asparagus, chicken breast and brown rice. You are making a change for the better! (wish I ate as healthy as my dogs )

Yea, you are right. I'm just so scared they are going to choak. My Shiloh is such a fast eater, I read in a raw dog feeding book to give it to her a little frozen and that should slow her down. I know I'm going to stand over them the first couple feedings. I have done my research and know this is best for them, but I can't get over being anxious. They love their food! It's the best part of their day and there hasn't been one bad effect from it. They eat fresh fruits and veggies along with their regular meals. Aything I eat they eat, which is basically veggies and fruit. Their favorite treat is cut up apples, oranges and strawberries. I may have a panic attack, but I'm going to do it wish me luck!

You don't feed your baby popcorn and potato chips?

I think we've all been there before. There is always an element of fear to trying something new. Even though you've been feeding raw, you're talking another step towards fully home prepped raw. Something that you and I have been told for years that we were not capable of.

You don't need a degree to feed a dog, and raw chicken bones aren't going to make your dog explode!

I would probably remove the skin and fat at first. Even though they've been eating raw, this IS kinda new to them. You can add it back in as soon as you see they are taking the new food well.

I would also rethink wings for the smaller dog's. Wings, when fed in conjunction with the rest of the bird are fine, but alone, fed repeatedly, can be a problem because they are mainly skin, fat, and bone. Very little actual muscle meat on wings.

Consider next time purchasing whole fryer hens and cutting them up into meal size portions. Even the smaller dog's can handle a whole fryer hen. If you do feel they aren't up to the challenge, maybe try Cornish game hens for the small dog's.

I would actually be more inclined to separate the leg and thigh at the joint and give the leg to one small dog, and the thigh to the other.

JMO, though. There is more than one way to skin a chicken.

They'll do great! I have one that eats so fast she used to choke on her kibble. Raw seems to slide down easier. Good luck and WTG for taking the plunge

Thank you for the advice. I thought the wings would help clean their teeth. I will take off the skin from the big pieces, good hint! I guess I'll go back to the store and get the drumb sticks for the smaller dogs. I'm not into cutting up the chicken. I'm dangerous with a knife. I don't want to chance it until my husband gets home and can stitch me up, which he has done on the kitchen table before, believe it or not I guess I just need to take a deep breath and jump.

I was terrifed to start also. I finally took a few days off work (just in case any one had GI issues - no one did), fasted them a day (to clear the kibble as best they could, and started with skinless leg quarters. No problems adjusting - once they realized that the slimey weird stuff was food and it tasted good. lol

I am proud of myself for this and the fact that next week, a co-worker is taking a few days off to start her guys on raw!

*smiling smugly now*

You can do it, it's kind of fun, too.

We've been off kibble for a while now, so I'm not worried about GI problems. That's so sweet, taking time off work. It's nice to know there are more dog nuts like me out there.

"I'm freezing the meat for 3 days to kill all the bugs before I feed. "



Which bugs (what kind of bugs)?

I ask that because freezing is not one of the dog's weapons against food pathogens, but the dog does have other excellent weapons (very caustic stomach acid and a short trip from the mouth end to the other end that severely limits colonizing opportunity for any raw-food pathogens).

Also, freezing for three days in most home freezers is a waste of time for most parasites. A zero-or-below freezer (like a commercial freezer as opposed to most home frozen-food-storage) is useful for some possible problems with some parasites, but it sounds like you mean E. coli, salmonella, etc.? Freezing does NOT kill them. (As I said, the dog has other mechanisms against them, but you as a human do not, so I'm being careful to say that freezing raw meat will not change anything about your requirement to handle it carefully, to avoid cross-contaminating kitchen surfaces, to wash your hands after, etc.)

This is in no way discouragement! I'm a great proponent of raw. It's just clarification.